The Amazing Results Of A True Believer's Agape/True Love

This week, we continued in the study of Philippians, from the Original Messianic Perspective, the original Church.

Philippians 1: 9-11

And for this I offer my prayers, that your commitment exceeds to the greatest degree and more in precise and correct knowledge of ethical and divine things and all perception, not only by the senses but by the intellect, cognitive discernment, so you, can test and discern, to distinguish between good and evil in order, that you may be found pure and without offense until the day/time of Y’shua Messiah, to bring forth fruits of righteousness, which are through Y’shua Messiah, for the glorious worship and praise of God.

The word, translated as commitment, is Agape. Many have already heard this word, for it is used a lot in the modern church. It is considered Godlike Love. However, I believe that Godlike Love is somewhat vague, because many don't understand many true attributes of God. A good example of this can be found in 1 John 2:15-17.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

In Corinthians 13:2-18, it is gives the true definition of Agape.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Notice that Paul desired and prayed that your agape, your commitment, would exceed the greatest degree. Yes, there are varying levels of maturity that a True Believer goes through, on his/her quest towards true Echad/Oneness, with God. This maturity could take a moment in time or last your entire lifetime. This is the resulting maturity, that comes naturally, when you place you complete faith, in the work done by God, through his son, Y'shua. This maturity quest is what Paul is talking about in Philippians 2:12-13.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure.

Many interpret this as a list of "Have To's" to fulfill your salvation. No. Working out your salvation is the progress through which you gravitate, by faith, towards being Godlike. Notice, in the above verses, that it says that it is not you doing stuff to obtain or fulfill your salvation, ... it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good pleasure, based on your ever increasing faith. This is reiterated in Ephesians 2:12-13.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by ones own works, so anyone can boast.

Your agape will result in Godly knowledge. What is Godly knowledge? Knowledge isn't just knowing things. It is living it. Making it your own. It's having an inward Godly perspective to perceive the difference between good and evil, which is only possible by having the precise knowledge of ethical and divine things. Is this really possible? Many say, No. But, here in Philippians, Paul alludes to the possibility. How? Again, by living the Word of God, not just knowing it.

Making the Word of God your own, for the betterment of others and especially yourself results in having the mentally knowledge and cognitive discernment to test others and yourself and distinguish between good and evil. This naturally results in you and others becoming pure, which results in the manifestation of fruits of righteousness. What are fruits of righteousness? They are the natural resulting righteous and just actions of the True Believer, when they place an ever increasing faith in God and in God's Word, which was manifested in Y'shua.

These verses also tell us that this quest of Godlike pureness and its resulting acts of righteousness, only through the Messiah Y'shua, the Word of God, will result in being without offense, blameless, at the time of the return of the Messiah, which includes the Day of Judgement.

As a side note, these two events will be the fulfillment of the Fall Feasts of Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur.

As an additional benefit of this quest is that you will have the strongest spiritual armor possible, so you can, as Ephesians 6:10-18 says

...be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

You will automatically have

...on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.

And after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Finally, if you ask most people to define Godly Praise and Worship, they will begin to describe their music service, prior to a sermon. Even though that is true, here, we are told that living our Agape, our total commitment is Glorious Praise and Worship, through the Word of God, the Messiah Y'shua.